Touring in VIP style

The Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbok Palace in downtown Seoul. The pavilion, popular among tourists as the most beautiful site in the palace, used to be a place for kings to hold banquets in the Joseon Kingdom.

By Yun Suh-young

Ever wonder where foreign VIPs go when they come to Korea? Do they go to the same places as we do or do they visit extraordinary sites that we don’t even know about?

To those who are curious, the answer is: their itinerary is not much different from ours. They visit mostly the same places that Koreans go to for sightseeing. If there is a difference, however, they get a customized service or information tailored to their visit.

Usually the tour is divided into Gangbuk and Gangnam courses. Gangbuk refers to northern Seoul above the Han River and Gangnam is below in southern Seoul.

Seoul is largely divided into these two regions and the tour is likewise.

Tourists can get their names engraved in a Korean-style stamp at the Myeongsindang stamp store in central Seoul.

“We usually divide the tour into traditional and modern so that our guests can see Korea’s traditional culture in the Gangbuk region and experience modern culture in the Gangnam region,” said Jinny Jung, president of Cosmojin Tour, a tour agency that mainly handles foreign VIPs.

The tour sites in the Gangbuk region include Gyeongbok Palace, Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House), and Insa-dong. The Gangnam tour includes a water taxi ride along the Han River, and shopping in Cheongdam-dong.

By foreign VIPs, who are we talking about? Well, a range of people from high-ranking officials, politicians, business executives, movie stars and so on. Woody Allen, Jessica Alba, Megan Fox, and the former president of Philippines are just a few of the people for whom Cosmojin provided tours.

Visitors take a look around the guesthouse in Cheong Wa Dae.

Gangbuk tour

At Gyeongbok Palace, the one-day VIP is told how the kings in the past managed their 3,000 member staff.

“We always include Gyeongbok Palace as a tour destination because it’s a great example of how the old and new coexists in the middle of the city. The palace is an example of how old our tradition is,” said Jung.

The VIPs are all introduced to the story of the palace from a different angle. For business people, the tour guide compares the palace to a company and explains how it was managed in the past. For architects, they’re given a thorough explanation on how Korean buildings were built.

“We customize our tour guide to the VIP that we’re escorting. Business VIPs are more interested when we compare the palace to a modern day company and explain how the great staff was managed. Architects are fascinated when they hear that no nails were used in Korean architecture and about how the wooden structures were assembled,” Jung said.

The Korean branch of luxury brand store Hermes located in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

/ Korea Times photos by Yun Suh-young

At Cheong Wa Dae, the VIPs are taken to the guesthouse to get a glimpse of the presidential residence and learn about the past presidents in Korea.

“Business people take an interest in the history of our presidents but politicians don’t, especially if they’re from a developed country. So we don’t include the Cheong Wa Dae tour for politicians,” said Jung.

The problem with the Cheong Wa Dae tour is that there is the risk of not being able to see it. If there is an emergency or if there is a special event scheduled there, Cheong Wa Dae is closed to visitors and tourists must revise their plans.

This involves heading to Insa-dong a bit earlier. Insa-dong is a traditional street which used to be a public office district. Scholars and politicians visited the place often which is why writing supplies and stationary stores were prevalent there in the past.

At Insa-dong, VIPs browse the traditional items for sale or try a cup of tea in a traditional cafe. They also taste the street food such as siltarae (sugar threads) or hotteok (hot pancakes with brown sugar inside).

Ssamzi-gil, a market where various art works are sold is also popular for its leaning floors and expansive views.

For lunch, Mingadaheon or Doodaemunjib, both of which serve traditional Korean food are typical choices for VIPs.

Gangnam tour

Getting on a water taxi to reach the other side of the river is one transportation option for the VIPs, although most of them prefer to ride it for a tour around the river.

VIPs get on a water taxi for a leisurely 40-minute ride along the Han River and back. Along the river, passengers can see the National Assembly building in Yeouido, various Han River bridges including the one where the movie “The Host” by director Bong Joon-ho was filmed and the bridge embedded with fragments from the Korean War.

In Gangnam, VIPs usually shop in Cheongdam-dong where most of the luxury brand name stores are located. Among them, Hermes is the most popular.

“Hermes is the brand that foreign celebrities like to visit because the Korean branch often has items that are not sold in other countries. It’s also an alternative to Louis Vuitton and Chanel which have become too popular among Asians and too many copies are available,” said Jung.

The wives of the VIPs like to visit the road shops, galleries and spas while their husbands conduct meetings at nearby hotels.

Opera Gallery, a Korean branch of the worldwide network of art galleries, is the most often visited gallery in Cheongdam-dong. VIPs buy artwork here and have it shipped to their home countries.

Other than Cheongdam-dong, the VIPs also go to Sinsa-dong, depending on their individual tastes.

VIP culture

According to Jung, VIPs don’t like strict schedules and prefer flexibility.

“We try to set the schedule a little loosely because they’re touring during their free time after or in between their business objectives. So we always prepare time for the VIPs to take a rest in between tours, especially for Middle Eastern guests,” she said.

“There are cases where they go back to their hotels to take a rest, enjoy a spa and come back out. Usually about two hours are taken off from the tour schedule so they can take a break. If they don’t go back to their hotels, they sit in cafes while drinking an afternoon tea.”